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talkpoliticsWhile we are still on the subject of the dramatic events in Ukraine, one would wonder what triggered all that unrest. A genuine desire in part of the Ukrainian people for European integration of their country? A foreign conspiracy employing thousands of traitorous agent-provocateurs? A geopolitical stand-off between Russia and the West using Ukraine as a pawn? What?
Well, if we are to look for the actual event that triggered the latest violence, it turns out the whole story begins last Thursday, when the Ukrainian "Rada" (the Parliament) suddenly adopted a package of laws which had not been discussed in any commission or even presented for review at the Parliament itself. This set of bills are meant to tighten the government's control on the Ukrainian public, and drastically curb the civil freedoms of the Ukrainian people. For example, the spreading of "libel", especially on the Internet, will now be punishable by jail. This means for example that any journalists and bloggers who dare to criticise state officials and politicians, could be subject to prosecution. What's more, the bill severely limits the freedom of assembly. As is the case in Russia, now in Ukraine too, NGOs could be treated as "foreign agents" if their activities happen to be funded by foreign foundations. Not to mention the arbitrary definition of "libel" itself. Right now, the only thing that is missing from this bill, is the actual signature of president Yanukovych at its bottom. But that is only a matter of time.
There have been a myriad of Ukrainian NGOs that work in partnership with the EU and advocate for Ukraine's democratisation. With this new law, all of them could now be declared "foreign agents", as they all rely on financial support from the EU.
It seems that the sole purpose of the Ukrainian rulers is to ensure public and political conditions that would facilitate their consolidation of power, regardless of the opinion of half of the Ukrainian people, as well as any other country (apart from Russia, of course). Despite this staggering arrogance, the Ukrainian authorities do not seem to care about any of this - the one thing that matters for them is to remain in power as long as possible. Possibly with the help of Russia.
So what could the EU do at this point? Most importantly, Europe should react unambiguously at the highest level to this blatant act of totalitarianism. With this package of laws, the legal framework is being radically altered, and not in a good direction at all. The rules are being changed to the worse, and that, in a place where democracy and pluralism were already severely threatened. This now applies particularly much to the free sharing of information on the Internet, which proved a useful medium for organising the protests - which is exactly why the authorities are desperately scrambling to put it under control, as has happened in such exemplary democracies like China and North Korea. Under this new legislation, any website could be suspended, and any criticism of the government and any expression of dissent that is not to the liking of the rulers could become subject of prosecution. And there would be nothing to stop political witch-hunt, because there will already be the excuse that "the law says so".
Does all this mean that Ukraine is effectively becoming a police state? Unfortunately, that may have already happened quite a while ago - only, now this is being institutionalised. What's more, this move is setting up the legal framework for a truly totalitarian state. Because, according to the new law, virtually anything could be interpreted as "libel" - any criticism against the abuse of power of the rulers, any questions about corruption, any disagreement with policy. Any call for social and political change and reform could be viewed as "extremism", and every sharing of information on the Internet on these subjects could be ascribed to organisations that are to be considered "foreign agents", and hence banned.
The whole process of crafting, presenting and voting the bill has been illegal, the procedure was not observed even one bit. This law will put the final pin in the coffin of Ukrainian democracy. The Ukrainian people have every right to use every means at their disposal to oppose it, and prevent it from taking effect.
Next up: E-putinization pt 2 of 2: The case of Russia.
Well, if we are to look for the actual event that triggered the latest violence, it turns out the whole story begins last Thursday, when the Ukrainian "Rada" (the Parliament) suddenly adopted a package of laws which had not been discussed in any commission or even presented for review at the Parliament itself. This set of bills are meant to tighten the government's control on the Ukrainian public, and drastically curb the civil freedoms of the Ukrainian people. For example, the spreading of "libel", especially on the Internet, will now be punishable by jail. This means for example that any journalists and bloggers who dare to criticise state officials and politicians, could be subject to prosecution. What's more, the bill severely limits the freedom of assembly. As is the case in Russia, now in Ukraine too, NGOs could be treated as "foreign agents" if their activities happen to be funded by foreign foundations. Not to mention the arbitrary definition of "libel" itself. Right now, the only thing that is missing from this bill, is the actual signature of president Yanukovych at its bottom. But that is only a matter of time.
There have been a myriad of Ukrainian NGOs that work in partnership with the EU and advocate for Ukraine's democratisation. With this new law, all of them could now be declared "foreign agents", as they all rely on financial support from the EU.
It seems that the sole purpose of the Ukrainian rulers is to ensure public and political conditions that would facilitate their consolidation of power, regardless of the opinion of half of the Ukrainian people, as well as any other country (apart from Russia, of course). Despite this staggering arrogance, the Ukrainian authorities do not seem to care about any of this - the one thing that matters for them is to remain in power as long as possible. Possibly with the help of Russia.
So what could the EU do at this point? Most importantly, Europe should react unambiguously at the highest level to this blatant act of totalitarianism. With this package of laws, the legal framework is being radically altered, and not in a good direction at all. The rules are being changed to the worse, and that, in a place where democracy and pluralism were already severely threatened. This now applies particularly much to the free sharing of information on the Internet, which proved a useful medium for organising the protests - which is exactly why the authorities are desperately scrambling to put it under control, as has happened in such exemplary democracies like China and North Korea. Under this new legislation, any website could be suspended, and any criticism of the government and any expression of dissent that is not to the liking of the rulers could become subject of prosecution. And there would be nothing to stop political witch-hunt, because there will already be the excuse that "the law says so".
Does all this mean that Ukraine is effectively becoming a police state? Unfortunately, that may have already happened quite a while ago - only, now this is being institutionalised. What's more, this move is setting up the legal framework for a truly totalitarian state. Because, according to the new law, virtually anything could be interpreted as "libel" - any criticism against the abuse of power of the rulers, any questions about corruption, any disagreement with policy. Any call for social and political change and reform could be viewed as "extremism", and every sharing of information on the Internet on these subjects could be ascribed to organisations that are to be considered "foreign agents", and hence banned.
The whole process of crafting, presenting and voting the bill has been illegal, the procedure was not observed even one bit. This law will put the final pin in the coffin of Ukrainian democracy. The Ukrainian people have every right to use every means at their disposal to oppose it, and prevent it from taking effect.
Next up: E-putinization pt 2 of 2: The case of Russia.
